September 17, 2012 09:29 PM UTC

Mitt Romney On Road to Craterville?

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• by: Colorado Pols

It has not been a good couple of days for Republican Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney, whose campaign seems to be teetering on the edge of falling into the dreaded “crater” from which candidates never emerge. Our friends at “The Fix” run down the problem(s):

Evidence of campaign infighting has put Mitt Romney in a place that no candidate wants to be with just 50 days left before an election – caught between re-tooling a message that appears to be flagging and the inevitable “Is the campaign imploding?” questions that such a strategic shift will cause.

In the wake of a Politico story that detailed campaign strife largely aimed at Romney lead political strategist Stuart Stevens, the campaign held a conference call this morning led by former Republican National Committee Chairman Ed Gillespie designed to stamp out the story – and make clear that his candidate is going to start talking more specifically about his own plan to turn the economy around…

…While Gillespie didn’t face any direct questions about the Politico story, the piece loomed over the call; at the start of the call, Gillespie touted the party’s strong convention – in a seeming direct response to the allegations made in the Politico story that it had been a comedy of errors. (“What’s a big deal is they are behind and blew the convention,” said one senior Republican operative granted anonymity to speak candidly about the Romney effort.)

To be clear: Average people almost certainly have no idea that the Romney campaign is facing inner turmoil. But, the Republican activist and donors bases as well as – most importantly – the party’s political professional class certainly do.

Given that reality, to do nothing in the face of the criticism of the campaign would be to ensure further criticism, which, in turn, would fuel more stories about the Romney campaign in disarray. (Hello vicious cycle!)

NBC News expands on the problems:

Handwringing about Romney, especially among conservatives, many of whom have never fully embraced Romney, is nearing a fever pitch. RedState editor Erick Erickson wrote Monday that Romney “has failed to close any deal with the voters and his message is so muddled no voter really knows what they are getting.”  The posting by Erickson also predicted that Obama would win the election if it were held today.

While “The Fix” is correct that average voters probably aren’t aware of Romney’s escalating problems, that doesn’t mean it isn’t dangerous for Republicans. In politics, as in much of life, perception is reality; if the perception grows that Romney is starting to crater, then more and more Republicans will repeat that fear until it becomes self-fulfilling. Some, like RedState editor Erick Erickson, may only be looking for a reason to abandon ship.

There was a perception among many Republicans in the fall of 1996 that Senator Bob Dole was just not going to be able to beat President Bill Clinton. The circumstances with Romney are certainly different, but the perception problem is not. Romney’s campaign must plug the infighting leak and kill the perception that there is a serious problem — and fast — before that narrative begins to take hold. It doesn’t take long for supporters to lose their enthusiasm, or worse, give up hope altogether that Romney can beat Obama.